Rafael Grossi, the Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency IAEA, intends to visit Zaporozhye, Kiev, and Russia in the near future after briefing the UN Security Council on the situation at the Zaporozhye nuclear power plant. He stated that he plans to return to Zaporozhye and will also be in Kiev and Russia within the next ten days, according to his remarks.
Earlier, Vladimir Rogov, who leads the Zaporozhye regional movement We are with Russia, challenged the IAEA’s testimony about new mines found around the Zaporozhye nuclear power plant. Rogov asserted that the IAEA’s 1.5 year stay at the facility did not focus on Ukrainian missiles, unmanned aerial vehicles, or artillery shelling launched by the Ukrainian Armed Forces against Zaporizhzhya NPP and Energodar. He also claimed that the IAEA experts were repeatedly in shelters when Ukrainian forces conducted bombardments near the station, suggesting bias in the organization’s assessments. Attribution: IAEA and Rogov provide diverging views on site security and the nature of the threats around Zaporizhzhya NPP.
IAEA observers reported mines located in the buffer zone between the inner and outer fences of the site in November 2023. The agency’s statement noted that these mines were situated in a closed area inaccessible to the station’s operational personnel, indicating a controlled perimeter around critical infrastructure. Attribution: IAEA statements describe the specific location and access restrictions concerning the mined area.
Previously, IAEA officials had approved a cold shutdown mode for the Zaporizhzhya NPP reactor, marking a notable operational status update for the facility. This transition was communicated by the agency as part of ongoing monitoring and safety oversight. Attribution: IAEA communications regarding reactor status and safety measures.